Supreme Court passes on Bloomberg gun suit

March 10, 11:42 AMGun Rights ExaminerDavid Codrea

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Bloomberg (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)

New York's lawsuit against gun manufacturers has been declined for review by the Supreme Court.

New York sued several gun manufacturers in 2000, arguing the companies violated a state public nuisance law with their marketing and distribution of the firearms products they sell.

There was one problem:

A federal law enacted in 2005 sought to shield gun makers from lawsuits like the one New York filed, prompting a federal judge to throw the case out. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York in April 2008 upheld that ruling by a 2-1 vote.

This was a setback--not only for anti-gun mayor Mike Bloomberg and his coalition of anti-self defense mayors, but also for the left-leaning activist judge Jack B. Weinstein, who did his best to facilitate the lawsuit's progress in spite of the clear intent of the law.

Still unclear are the lengths Bloomberg & Co. went to in their zealous pursuit to gin up further restrictions on our right to keep and bear arms. We know in a tandem effort that he hired private investigators to go after private gun shops, and gave all appearances that so-called "straw sales," where someone who can pass the background check buys guns on behalf of someone who cannot, were being conducted in those stores.

As I asked in a Guns Magazine "Rights Watch" columns a few years back:

Bloomberg had private eyes buy guns for felons? Isn't that illegal, particularly since the mayor of New York and his private surrogates have no jurisdiction in other states? Isn't that a criminal conspiracy? And doesn't it violate federal as well as state gun laws?

...So what part did Bloomberg's sting team, the James Mintz Group, comprised of "former investigative reporters, federal investigators and prosecutors" play in making "illegal purchases"? Did seasoned investigators--who know better--lie on federal form 4473's about who the actual purchasers of the firearms were? Did they commit multiple federal felonies?

The state of Virginia told him to back off, and sent him "what amounts to a cease-and-desist letter." As did the U.S. Justice Department, which ordered him to stop it and warned him:

You should be aware that there are potential legal liabilities that may attach when persons outside of law enforcement undertake actions typically reserved for law enforcement agents...

I'll continue with this later. There's a lot more to say and it deserves at least one more column to say it right.

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Oregon alert!

If you're an Oregon gun owner, you need to act on this now. Per Oregon Firearms Federation:

[T]he House Judiciary Committee will be hearing four gun related bills.

That's happening today. Click on the link, read the alert and take the requested action.

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Rest in peace

That's what Buckeye Firearms Association is telling concealed carriers they can now do in Ohio:

ODOT confirms all "NO GUNS" signs at rest stops and visitor centers have been removed

Can you imagine pulling into a rest stop at night without being able to defend yourself? What kind of person would want you unarmed in such a situation...besides guys like the ones described here or here or here...?

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Welcome back

Milwaukee Gun Rights Examiner Candace Dainty returns.  Excellent, this is another needed voice.  Her latest article appears in the GRE current article links, below.

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IGOLD March

Watch an important video here on how the media intentionally blacks out pro-gun rights news.

Then, if you're an Illinois gun owner, go here to find out how you can join tomorrow's Illinois Gun Lobby Day.

Don't miss out on this important event--and please take a moment NOW to ensure your friends in Illinois know about this and are doing something to help.